L' art de vivre: Dual Degree in Krems and Bordeaux

After finishing school in the Tyrolean capital, he was drawn to the big wide world and set off on backpacking trips that took him to the USA, Canada, Mexico, Southeast Asia, India, Thailand and Vietnam. He then decided to study Business Administration at IMC Krems for several reasons, with the international programme scoring particularly highly thanks to the fact that it is taught in English, offers the option of a dual degree and uses innovative learning methods. ‘The programme covers a very broad spectrum and offers many opportunities. I didn't have to commit myself and specialise right at the start,’ explains Mark Zeilinger. 

Next stop: France

Marc Zeilinger is completing the dual degree at Kedge Business School because he sees an advantage in the two degrees: ‘For me, it's like a guiding star in my studies – it sets you apart from the others. From the beginning, my goal was to get the dual degree, get to know a new culture and live in another country.’ 

(Almost) no obstacles

Even without any knowledge of French, a dual degree is possible, as an A1 beginner's course is also offered. According to Mark Zeilinger, the course has great lecturers and the added value of really learning something, as it is of course completed with a final exam. The cooperation between IMC Krems and Kedge Business School also works very well, and the Erasmus+ programme makes a scholarship possible. Both locations were very helpful when questions arose. The only thing that is difficult in Bordeaux compared to Krems is finding accommodation. Would he recommend the dual degree? ‘Yes, definitely, because in the last week before I ftook my flight home, I realised that I will never live in such an intercultural group again and can get to know the culture in a completely different way than while completing a semester abroad.’ 

L'arte de vivre – a way of life

Mark was particularly impressed by the French way of life – l'art de vivre, or the art of living. People of all ages sit outside bars, relaxe and enjoying life. The IMC student also took the opportunity to explore the country alongside his studies. In addition to the many great sights, he explored Menton, Monaco, Nice, Paris, La Rochelle, La Coniac, Toulouse and Andorra. Through wine tastings and a wine festival in Bordeaux, he learned to appreciate wine, and a visit to the Olympic Games motivated him to take up sport himself. 

Small and idyllic vs. big and exciting

Mark Zeilinger was particularly taken with the contrast between the two cities of Krems and Bordeaux. He appreciates the small, idyllic town of Krems in the middle of the vineyards, but also feels at home in the French city. With 11,000 students, Kedge Business School is three times the size of IMC Krems and has a large number of student clubs and societies, with a strong emphasis on networking. The large number of Erasmus students makes lively exchanges possible. 

University & country: highlights 

‘Luxury marketing was my highlight,’ says the business administration student, because he has always been interested in marketing, but lacked insight into the luxury marketing sector. He was also enthusiastic about ‘Enterprise and Leadership’. ‘The introduction week was another highlight' according to the Krems native, emphasising that he found the social component of the exchange particularly positive. ‘The intercultural exchange, the new friends, the culture – that's the best thing I'll always remember’ tells Zeilinger enthusiastically. Culturally speaking, Bordeaux was at the top of my list. 

A look into the future 

‘My long-term goal is to further improve my language skills, become self-employed and start my own company – both studies combined have given me the foundation to make that possible,’ says the student, looking ahead to the future. IMC graduate Lukas Renz – founder of the beverage brand Bärnstein and the green deep tech start-up HydroSolid – is a clear role model for Zeilinger. Thanks to his dual degree programme, he feels well prepared to realise his dream of self-employment. His bachelor's thesis also deals with this topic: ‘How failure and success help serial entrepreneurs in their future ventures’ examines how success and failure can help founders. 

Dual degrees: two degrees

Some IMC degree programmes maintain particularly close cooperation with selected partner universities and offer you the opportunity to complete a so-called dual degree. A dual degree refers to two degrees that are awarded independently of each other for the successful completion of two different study programmes. The Bachelor's programme in Business Administration has a dual degree cooperation with Kedge Business School in Bordeaux, France.

Business Administration 
Dual Degree